The Dragon's Tear

Summary

Tyyr is a member of Valsair’s secret police. As part of the House of Ravens, she is the first to gather information for her king. She’s a killer, a spy; efficient and self-reliant.

Rumors of a dissenting lord passes through the Houses, and Tyyr is sent to investigate. The heart of the matter is a mysterious jewel known as the Dragon’s Tear. Tyyr must take the gem back to the capital, but the escape becomes a game of cat-and-mouse when the new owners want their possession to remain a secret.

Half the kingdom is all that separates Tyyr from survival. In the cross country trek, Tyyr’s greatest enemy is her own doubt; that this time she doesn’t have what it takes to hold herself together.

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The Dragon's Tear - Chris Weston

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Chapter One

Kaleb sets down the girl’s body, making a total of three bodies in the room.

Is it me, or do all these lords live the same? Lonn asks. There’s something about the rooms, the halls, I can’t quite place it. A familiarity in each corner, He knocks some parchment off the desk.

It’s because we have to keep seeing them, Kaleb responds. It’s easy to lose count how many times we have to visit trouble. Move the candles over here.

Lonn pushes the lit candle closer to the edge of the desk, illuminating Kaleb’s view. The light gives Kaleb the clarity he needs to move the bodies. Two men and one maiden, a hasty decision. Three is a good number, enough for lord Arkarean to interpret correctly.

Well, that should be unsettling, Lonn moves the other candle and pushes the door, leaving it slightly open.

Kaleb moves the girl onto her side and pushes her against the wall. I hope it will have a more marked effect than unsettle him. Lord Arkarean is a bastard and coward. This will ensure he stops talking to those he needn’t talk to.

You sure that will keep his mouth shut?

I think finding some dead bodies in his home will be perfectly fine. If you want, you’re free to chop them up and strew the room with their limbs. Really send him a message.

Lonn rests against the desk. That’s macabre. May as well throw the cat in the lot of them. I don’t think I want to get into that kind of mess right now.

With a grunt, Kaleb jams a man under the desk. Neither do I. Let’s regroup with Phelan and Trigg. Once we deal with the livestock, we can get back to the road. The sooner we can return to the capital, the better.

Do we have any idea what he’s been divulging and to whom? The information can’t be of too high a priority or we’d be putting him underneath his own desk.

Some Ravens are working on that, Kaleb says. I’m sure it’ll be just a matter of time before we’re back.

The two of them go about with the last of the preparation. They lead the trail of bodies throughout the room, so that the lord will know no place is hidden from them. The girl’s body is the last to go, and will be the first by the door. As they stretch her out, Kaleb feels a pat from Lonn.

Do you hear that? There are others coming this way.

Kaleb gently lowers the woman and reaches over to the candles on the desk, pinching them with his index finger and thumb. He stops and listens. In the dark he can hear running steps from the hallway. Kaleb places his hand on his blade.

He waits by the sliver of the open door to see who it is. The runner passes them by and rushes into the adjacent room. It’s a wide blur: lord Arkarean. Another sound of running and a slimmer blur follows. Kaleb listens to what’s taking place in the next room.

Where did it go? A deep voice calls out, moving around the room, pushing away objects as what sounds like papers hit the floor. Damn it.

This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening to me, of all people. How can it be gone?

S-Sir, we already sent some men to look for him, but nothing has turned up yet. Just give it some—

Unacceptable. I don’t have the luxury of time. If we don’t find him . . .

The sound of creaking footsteps is heard faintly in the distance. Lonn sneaks next to Kaleb and whispers into his ear, It appears we don’t need the Ravens to get our information.

Kaleb signals Lonn to quiet down. It’s not the ramblings of lord Arkarean he’s concentrating on, he’s listening for movement. Heavy metal steps are approaching the hallways. Each subsequent step becomes louder. As the creaks comes closer, each noise becomes more distinct. Kaleb and Lonn hug against the wall. Clearly it’s not a single set of footsteps; it’s several.

They’re louder than any he’s ever heard. They must belong to a beast of a man. Another rest of steps are almost disguised within them. Light and soft, moving at the same rhythm.

Moving forward, Kaleb risks visibility to catch a glimpse of the new guests as they come down the hall. A sheet of metal crosses past. It’s one of the biggest men he’s ever seen. Kaleb nearly missed seeing that it was a man instead of a gigantic stature come to life. The tabard over his chestpiece causes Kaleb’s heart to seize.

Before he can motion to Lonn, a woman walks in front of the knight. She is pale with flowing golden hair.

The servant’s voice in the other room comes as a whisper, barely reaching to Kaleb’s ear, Sir, should I alert the guards?

There is no answer.

The door swings open unassisted; she never even touched it. The woman in her white robe walks into the room. The knight follows behind her. He is so tall Kaleb barely makes out his feature, seeing only all the scars that mark his flesh. His giant hands clasp a great sword in front of him and place it in the middle of the door, blocking the lord and his servant inside.

Kaleb feels Lonn move next to him, The fuck is going on in there? He motions him to silence. The air is cold, much colder than the climate outside and dropping fast.

My lady, lord Arkarean gasps, I have every one of my men searching for him. It will be brought back and there will be no delay—

He’s cut short as the knight brings his sword to the ground again. Kaleb can see a small section of the woman. She doesn’t show any emotion at this plea. And then it’s what he feared: her eyes blaze up with such a bright light and the sound of rushing wind flows through the rooms.

There’s no mistaking what he hears next, the sound so of bones breaking.

Please. Please, lord Arkarean howls. I’ll get it back. I’ll have it back soon. I swear it. I swear on my land, my family, my word. I pledge my word I’ll have it back, he screams out.

You are to be judged accordingly, the Woman in White says. You made a promise, and it was broken tonight. Your words are the reason blood will have to be spilled. It is only fair that yours will be no different, Her eyes become suffused with light. And tearing commences.

Lonn whispers to Kaleb, The fuck is going on in there?

We need to get out of here, he responds. Right now. Don’t stop until we reach the others and are sitting on our horses.

Kaleb pulls the door open and Lonn turns the corner and runs out. As Kaleb does the same, the knight reacts swiftly by swinging his blade to him. The sword hits behind him, less than a second too slow. Kaleb puts as much power as possible into his legs so that the knight won’t get a second chance.

He bounds the hallway and starts to turn to take the next corridor when he catches a glimpse of what he left behind. The Woman in White stands there, eyes blazing so bright that they cut through the darkness. His mind turns blank, all he can think is turn, turn as fast as possible.

A ripping gust comes right at him, pieces of wood and stone miss him as he narrowly dodges its hail. He falls to the floor and looks to the wall caved in, punctured with debris. He blocks the grisly thought out and picks himself up. The two of them are still where they were, and it is impossible for a man in that much armor to catch up. He has to get to the horses.

Kaleb runs through the manor. He knows the entire layout of this place. His mental map allows him to maneuver in the darkness without fear of tripping or being lost. The entrance isn’t far now. When he arrives at the front doors, he sees Lonn and Trigg killing men.

Trigg finishes slitting the last man’s throat and kicks the body away. More than twenty hired blades that I could see, possibly more. Hurry, Phelan is keeping watch over the horses and waiting for us.

All three of them rush out of the manor. Several bodies lie on the ground, Kaleb assumes Trigg’s handiwork. Faraway shapes are approaching and yelling is heard from each side. How did so many get here so fast? Kaleb can’t focus on the question. The horses are tied up in the forest.

Kaleb hears hoofbeats behind him. Taking a quick glance, he sees two armed men yelling and giving chase. He turns back to see an arrow rise from the woods, followed by the sounds of a rider’s horse screaming and crashing into the dirt. Another arrow flies out and Kaleb turns and watches it plant itself in the last pursuer's chest.

They reach the hobbled horses and begin to untie and mount as quickly as possible. As Kaleb gets on top of his horse, he sees Phelan drop from the tree. Phelan swings his bow over his shoulder and jumps on his horse.

The woods are impenetrable at night, a feature Kaleb trusts will allow them the lead. His horse takes point, navigating through the trees and along the paths. They speed through the brush, one behind the other. Kaleb takes a turn over a hill, knowing a creek is nearby.

The horses’ hooves hit the water. The creek won’t completely hide their trail, but it will make it more difficult for their pursuers to track, and allow them more time to broaden the gap. They travel for several minutes at a swift pace.

Kaleb raises his arm, signaling to a halt.

What transpired in the manor? One moment we’re out in the dead of night, the next we’re running for our lives.

There was a witch and her knight.

Fuck it, Lonn says. Lord Arkarean was dealing with The Magi. That’s what he was weasling around for, telling secrets, giving funds, I don't know but that we should have killed him ourselves.

We can’t know that.

Why else is there a witch and her small personal army in the country? That place is being massacred, because some mistakes were made. We should alert the Ravens so they can send messages to several wardens and have the soldiers deal with her.

There was something else taking place in there, something . . . Kaleb shakes his head. How much parchment do we have for a letter?

Barely any. We’ve used most of it over the past few months. The Ravens will have to be a little creative in interpreting it, but I can send a short note.

Kaleb ponders.

Our issue is what we send.

I imagine a witch from the Magi and her warriors who are raiding around the country are a cause for concern.

No, they’re a symptom. Lonn and I heard them speak inside the manor, they’re here for something special. Whatever it is they're looking for . . . Kaleb hesitates. That’s what we should be worried about.

Given that these men are on their way and want to kill us, what is your order right now?

Phelan, write the message that they are looking for something and send it out. I don’t know what it is, but it’s enough of a concern that they are here. Keep to the creek to conceal your tracks. Lonn, Trigg, we’re going to take to the plains and let them chase us for as long as possible. Put some distance and time between them and their goal. Once we run them dry, we’ll regroup and travel together to let the Ravens know, if they haven’t alerted anyone until then. If by chance this works out, we’ll have what they want, and they’ll be stranded in the center of the country.

Who are they going to get to go? All Wolves are out on the prowl. It’s wishful thinking that anyone is back in Bramol yet.

I know exactly who they’ll send.

Chapter Two

Tyyr looks up to the sky. Today should be pleasing, it has all the makings of a good day, but something is wrong. The large trees are finally beginning to show their colors. The bright green leaves scatter reds across the forest. Summer’s twilight days are here to bask in for their short duration. All these things account for what should be a brilliant day, yet Tyyr cannot enjoy any part of it. Other matters occupy her mind and refuse to let her have this moment.

She lies on the grass letting the warming glow of the sun wash over her. Perhaps a little sunshine will make me feel better, she thinks.

Her hand shakes the heat away from her hair. The long straight strands contrast on top of the green grass, silver on green. It’s been so long she’s forgotten what it used to look like before it changed. At twenty-four, the transformation is complete. Any trace of what she was born with is gone and the signs of age have made haste. As long as her bones don’t begin to creak and break then this is a change she won’t pay any mind to.

Closing her eyes creates a yellow haze against the darkness. She controls her breathing to a comfortable and steady pace. Why can’t I just lie here for a few more days? Tyyr sits up and stares at the lake before her. The lake’s surface is a perfect reflection of the sky. Its appearance is like an island of bright and glistening blue, surrounded by a sea of green; a serene image. I can wait. No need to rush out yet.

Her assignment was to watch several arbitrated villages and outposts in the west. That meant no long travels, no bad food, and no bloodshed. Only days spent in a sparsely populated forest. How was she supposed to believe that was the truth? There’s no respite wherever they send her. The truth is, she was starting to feel at home here. These long days have etched sentimentality into her thoughts. Sooner or later they’ll chop down every last tree and pull out the roots to build stone cities. It's all a matter of time.

Tyyr stands up and dusts the grass from her linen shirt. Grass stains have worked their way on her clothes. They’ll need to be washed out before she leaves. The walk from the lake to her small settlement takes her through the towering trees. Her house is dwarfed in comparison to their size; from seedlings to giants, they must have seen so much over their life.

The small house is of old Elerian design. Walls of light gray with windows shining ruby-red when the light hits them in the morning. Twisting patterns adorn the frames of the doors’ ornamental patterns. Tyyr used to ponder what wonders this art used to hold; what was their meaning in history? Instead of studying them, students claim these